NOUMEA, New Caledonia (Oceania Flash, April 3) - A type 1
epidemic of the mosquito-transmitted dengue fever has reached 700 cases
throughout the French Pacific territory, the daily newspaper Les Nouvelles
Calédoniennes reports.

The epidemic started late last year, and has since reached new
heights after tropical cyclone Erica caused devastation in New Caledonia on
March 14.

Although some analysts hoped the cyclone could have had the
potential to destroy mosquito larvae, the proliferation of remaining debris,
such as fallen trees and branches, has in fact accelerated the epidemic.

Health authorities now fear the real figure, as opposed to the
official 700, could be "three to four times" as high.

Since January, New Caledonia's local government has stepped up
awareness campaigns, urging residents to thoroughly clean any potential breeding
site for the striped mosquito, scientifically called "Aedes...

FBI agents served an arrest warrant to the 43-year-old Nogis at
the WIA office on Capitol Hill. He was handcuffed and brought to the U.S.
Marshal’s Office at the Horiguchi Building and to the court for a bail
hearing, Variety was told.

Nogis was indicted for theft concerning programs receiving
federal funds, and for witness tampering. The charges carry a mandatory sentence
of 15 years imprisonment.

Nogis, who appeared with attorney Brien Sers Nicholas, waived
reading of the indictment and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

U.S. District Court Judge Alex R. Munson set the jury trial for
June 9. He granted Assistant U.S. Attorney John Rice’s recommendation to...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (RNZI, April 4) - Vanuatu’s newly
introduced lands tribunal, or village court,whose task it is to resolve
customary land disputes has hit opposition, after men who have settled in their
wives’ villages refused to support the idea.

In the latest example, a custom chief of Eratap Village in Efate
appealed to the police for help after men from other islands attacked a primary
school forcing it to close and causing serious injuries to one man in protest
against the ruling of the local village court.

The main task of the court is to identify the true customary
landowner in each village based on the history of each tribe.

The problem has arisen because men from other islands and their
male children, who are regarded as outsiders, can no longer claim customary
ownership of land in their wives’ villages.

Chief Andrew Kalpoelep says an amendment needs to be made to the
lands...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (RNZI, April 3) - The Solomon Islands
National Peace Council says it is about to sign up another four wards or about
200 villages to its campaign to remove weapons.

The Peace Council chairman, Paul Tovua, says this will mean
about 600 villages on Guadalcanal and Malaita have committed to being
weapons-free.

The communities receive rewards such as sports equipment or
schools assistance for making the commitment.

Tovua says they are now planning a national peace summit in
Honiara next month.

He says they are expecting all sectors of the community to take
part.

"Of course, the government, the churches and the leaders,
NGO's, civil society will also be part of the summit so that it could help map
the way forward for peace and hopefully progress in the Solomon Islands."

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, April 4) - The Coast Guard's
presence on island is expected to increase up to 15 percent this year, bringing
in new resources and adding more personnel.

A handful of reservists from Guam and off island have recently
been activated to assist with the Coast Guard's missions, including homeland
security, according to Capt. Rob Lorigan, who commands the local Coast Guard
detachment.

Coast Guard Cutter Kukui, homeported in Honolulu, has been
deployed to Guam to fill a gap created by maintenance on the cutters Galveston
Island and Sassafras, which are homeported here. Lorigan added that the Coast
Guard recently received one high-speed response boat and is expected to receive
a second one in June.

The additional resources and personnel will help the Coast Guard
in its wide variety of missions. He said the Coast Guard, as the fifth armed
service of the United States, is...

A special meeting of the territorial government resolved that
with immediate effect, all residents returning from those areas were to stay
home for ten days, even if they do not have any SARS symptoms.

Existing preventive measures still include questionnaires for
all arriving passengers.

A request earlier this week from airport and custom officials
working at Nouméa's La Tontouta international airport was also granted: from
now on, they will be assisted by a team of two medical nurses to help...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.